FAA Regulations Every A&P Student Should Know: A Blog Post and Study Guide

Studying FAA regulations for the A&P certificate can feel overwhelming at first. There are a lot of regulation numbers, legal definitions, recordkeeping rules, inspection requirements, and certification terms that all seem to run together. The trick is not to memorize every regulation word-for-word. The goal is to understand what each regulation does and how it fits into aircraft maintenance. For A&P students, the most important regulations usually come from: 14 CFR Part 39 — Airworthiness Directives 14 CFR Part 43 — Maintenance, preventive maintenance, rebuilding, and alterations 14 CFR Part 65 — Mechanic certification, privileges, and limitations 14 CFR Part 91 — Aircraft maintenance responsibility, inspections, and records 14 CFR Part 21 — Certification of aircraft, engines, propellers, and parts This post is written as both a blog article and a study guide. Each section explains the regulation in plain language, why it matters to a mechanic, and what you should remember for the written, oral, and practical exams. ...

June 23, 2026 · 32 min

A&P Math: The Formulas Every Aviation Maintenance Student Should Know

A&P Math: The Formulas Every Aviation Maintenance Student Should Know Math can make a lot of A&P students nervous, but aviation maintenance math is usually very practical. You are not doing math just to do math. You are using it to solve real aircraft maintenance problems. As an A&P student, math shows up when you are working with: Electrical circuits Weight and balance Torque values Sheet metal layout Hydraulic pressure Fluid quantities Temperature conversions Measurements Engine calculations Aircraft drawings and dimensions The good news is that most A&P math uses the same basic skills over and over: fractions, decimals, ratios, percentages, formulas, and unit conversions. ...

June 6, 2026 · 14 min

Aircraft Hydraulic Systems: The Basics Every A&P Student Should Know

Aircraft Hydraulic Systems: The Basics Every A&P Student Should Know Aircraft hydraulic systems are one of those topics every A&P student needs to understand because hydraulics are used all over the airplane. Depending on the aircraft, hydraulic power may be used for landing gear, brakes, flaps, flight controls, spoilers, nosewheel steering, thrust reversers, cargo doors, and other heavy-duty systems. The basic idea is simple: hydraulics use pressurized fluid to transmit force. ...

June 6, 2026 · 12 min